


The Ultimate Cliche

by ThePuppetMaster



Category: The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Bar/Pub, Children, Cliche, Drama, Drama & Romance, Love, M/M, Married Couple, Romance, Slash
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-03-05
Updated: 2015-03-05
Packaged: 2018-03-12 02:20:29
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,146
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3339998
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ThePuppetMaster/pseuds/ThePuppetMaster
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Almost everything here is predictable and - you guessed it - cliche.</p>
<p>Steve Rogers, a well-mannered man living in Manhattan, is an EMT. One night, his new apartment's faucet bursts, flooding it and catching the attention of the boy downstairs, Tony. Sparks fly, but when Tony goes back to learn more about Steve, Steve's wife, Natasha, answers the door. Will true love prevail?</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Ultimate Cliche

_Just one more._

Tony Stark did another rep, pulling the barbell down on his chest before pushing it back onto the rack. He exhaled hard, trying to rub the sweat off his forehead off his face. His arms glistening, he sat up and stretched. How many was that? He had lost count somewhere near the middle.

He took off his gloves and dried his forehead with the towel before turning down the heavy metal playing over the stereo.

The bar had been going so well he'd been able to afford the apartment just below the penthouse. He probably would have splurged on the penthouse but someone was already living there.

Tony chugged his water until it was almost empty, then sat back on the bench. Maybe just a few more...

If he did enough, maybe Pepper would take him back...

His girlfriend of 14 months, Pepper Potts was a beautiful strawberry blonde. She was the CEO of a giant company, part of the reason Tony could afford the apartment. They'd rented it together and a week later she had left him. He could still recall the screaming match that had ensued as though it was yesterday.

He had flirted with his friend at the bar and Pepper had walked in on them. She said it was one of many times she had actually caught him. She had no idea how many times it had happened other than that. 

He splashed his face with some water, dried it off, then sat on the bench and leaned back, laying flat on his back He put his hands on the bar, about to lift it off when a drop of water landed point blank on his forehead.

It was almost unnoticeable because of the sweat, but Tony thought he felt something. He reached up and wiped it off, then looked at the ceiling. A dark spot was growing across the plaster. Tony dried his face off again and watched it for a second. When another drop fell, he put a bowl on the bench.

Did someone overflow something? pipe malfunction? Maybe he should tell the foreman... but what if someone upstairs just left the bath on or something?

Tony set the towel down, pulled on some jeans, and left his apartment.

\-----

Tony was right.

The floor was clean except for right outside of the apartment _J13._ The floor was a little wet and he could hear cursing coming from inside. Tony knocked on the door as hard as possible, and after a minute it opened.

"Yeah?"

The man that opened the door was a pretty thick man with muscles as big as Tony aspired to have. He had deep blue eyes and a cleanly shaved face, his short blond hair neatly kept. He had a worried look on his face, but it was still easy to see his attractiveness.

"Mechanic?" he asked, breathing heavily.

"No," Tony answered, biting his lip. "I'm Tony, I live downstairs. It's dripping from the ceiling in my apartment."

The man groaned. "I'm sorry, I'm Steve."

He held out his hand, and Tony shook it briskly. "What's going on?"

"It just won't stop coming!"

He turned back to the problem, leaving a little trail of splashes on the damp floor. Tony took a tentative step forward, but then walked in as fast as possible. His kitchen was around the corner, with black marble counters. There was an island in the middle of the floor, with a faucet. Water was pouring steadily out of the bottom of the sink, and pooling near the bottom.

Steve grabbed another towel and tried to soak up some more water. Tony joined him, but mainly used the opportunity to look at the pipes. They were bent, and a wrench sat on the floor.

"Do you have a toolbox?"

Steve looked at me and picked up the wrench. "Pretty sure this is it.

Tony took it in his hand. "Well I'm pretty sure that if you just -"

Tony twisted the wrench three times, tightening the final nut, and the water flow stopped. Steve chuckled and stood up.

"That was a lot simpler than it seemed."

"Yeah these things always are." Tony was suddenly aware that he was wearing a skin tight shirt with no sleeves. His muscles, or lack thereof, were on full display. Steve was wearing a dark blue shirt and sweat pants, looking like it was going to be leisurely night home.

He realized this in .2 seconds, and didn't have much time to dwell on it because a second later the sink erupted.

Water shot out of the middle of the sink as a pipe busted. Tony was soaked, and had to try to cover his eyes. Steve made a kind of yelling noise and Tony chuckled.

"What do we do!?"

"Well, if I knew that -" Tony yelled, struggling to block the water near the sink. Steve pulled his shirt over his head and stuffed it into the sink.

The water flow was stimulated, but Steve reached over and turned off the faucet. The water stopped gushing, and Tony started laughing. Something about the situation was hilarious.

"Well, excellent way to meet someone," Tony said, leaning against the counter.

Steve chuckled. "There are worse ways, I suppose."

Tony looked around. "Got anything to drink?"

He tried to ignore the fact that Steve was shirtless, and thought Steve was checking him out. Whatever. It shouldn't be weird, even if Steve had been attracted to him. Tony still swung both ways.

"Here you go," Steve said, passing him a can. "We only have the light stuff."

"That's fine," Tony said. "I own a bar, so I usually have whatever I need."

"You own a bar?"

Tony swallowed before answering. "Yeah, This little place called The Iron Man. You should check it out."

"Maybe I will," Steve said, swallowing his own. "I'm an EMT."

"Really? I had you pegged as body builder."

"How come?"

Tony put his hand on Steve's waist. "This."

Steve felt Tony's bicep. "You've either been lifting or you're ridiculously strong.

Tony shrugged. "I lift."

Steve stared a him for a second, then cleared his throat and stepped away.

"Thanks again for the help with the pipe."

"Anytime," Tony said. "So, you living alone?"

"For now, yeah."

"No girlfriend or anything?"

Steve hesitated. "... No."

Tony didn't question the pause. "Well, I look forward to getting to know you. Hopefully next time we meet will be under better circumstances. I'll probably be drunk."

Steve chuckled. "Sure."

Tony nodded and turned to walk away, but a hand grabbed his bicep.

"Wanna come back tomorrow night for a round of drinks?"

Tony raised his eyebrows and shrugged. "Sure. Yeah, sure."

Tony opened the door and went out into the hallway. Steve made a little wave and then closed the door. Tony stared at the door for a second, then walked away.


End file.
